The Big Apple

2010 design alum Carrie Susskind shares her experiences post graduation:

Two weeks after graduation in May, I relocated to NYC. I had accepted an internship at CBX (Coleman Brandworx) last February after interviewing in the city and falling head over heels in love with it. CBX is a Branding and Packaging firm located in Manhattan, and is swarming with inspirational and talented designers. If someone had told me a two years ago that I would be here post graduation, I would have laughed in their faces. I’m originally from Indianapolis, and NY was never in my spectrum.

I had an amazing internship, and stayed on as a full time freelancer after the internship was over. After about 5 months of freelancing, I was offered the position of a Junior Designer. Quite a process, yes..but absolutely worth it. I get to work one some awesome brands, Kotex and Walgreens to name a few.

There are so many things I learned along the way, and I’d love to share them with you.

-NETWORK. Seriously, networking is everything. I wouldn’t have even considered this city if it wasn’t for re-connecting with a Miami alum (shout out to Jeff Raulie!) Something as simple as one facebook message or email can change your life. It for sure changed mine. I know the word is overused, but there is a reason for it..because it works!

-Don’t be afraid to intern after graduating. Some people think that their only option as a post grad is to find a job. There’s not always a good chance that the job you choose will be the right fit unless you try it out first. When you intern somewhere (obviously it would have to be a paid internship) you get a chance to feel out the firm without a commitment. The firm also gets a feel for you, which can really work on in the long run if you end up staying. This is especially true if your internship during college wasn’t a great experience (like mine!)

–Creeping is okay! I was offered 2 opportunities in the city as a result of creeping on LinkedIn. How else are you going to know whose who?

-Call, and keep calling. If no one is emailing you back, call. Ask for someone specific and leave voicemails (refer back to creeping) You have to be aggressive because no one will just hand you an opportunity on a silver platter.

-The scarier something is, the more worth it it is.

-Start now!!

Miami truly does an amazing job at preparing design students for the real world. We have such a leg up on other schools, and we don’t always realize it.
Good luck to all of you, and feel free to reach out to me:)

—Carrie